HRH Princess Lilian of Sweden, Duchess of Halland (1915-2013)

The arms of Swansea-born Princess Lilian, Duchess of Halland were based on those of her husband, Prince Bertil, which were in turn based on the royal arms of Sweden.

The Swedish royal arms are divided into four quarters by a yellow cross paté. In the first and fourth quarters are three crowns, which have been in use since at least the late 13th century, and on their own are the "lesser arms" of Sweden, used mainly by the government. In the second and third are earlier arms, used by the royal House of Folkung - a gold lion rampant over three wavy "bends sinister". Overall are the arms of the Royal House of Vasa impaled with those of Bernadotte (the current reigning dynasty).

As Duke of Halland, Prince Bertil bore the arms of Halland - a white lion on blue - in the third quarter in place of the repeated Folkung arms. Princess Lilian bore these arms, but in place of the Vasa/Bernadotte arms she bore arms devised for herself, in the Swedish colours of blue and gold and incorporating fleurs-de-lys, or lillies, a play on her name.

On the shield sits the coronet of Swedish princes and princesses, and surrounding it is the sash (with badge below) of the Royal Order of the Seraphim, Sweden's highest order of chivalry.

Lilian in the late 1940s. Ⓒ

Lillian May Davies was born to a working-class family in Swansea in 1915. Her early career included factory work, but in the early 1940s she became a fashion model in London (at which time she dropped one "l" from her name).

Although married, she met and fell in love with Prince Bertil of Sweden (second son of the future King Gustav VI Adolf), who was based in London at the time. She and her husband amicably divorced in 1947, but the rules of the Swedish Royal House would not allow Prince Bertil to marry a commoner while retaining his royal status and place in the succession.

Bertil and Lilian lived together discreetly, and 33 years after they first met the rules were changed and they were able to marry, so that Princess Lilian became an official member of the Swedish Royal Family.